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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · net · hide · pitch · fan · file · bank · bowl

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — after costs
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wake — a trail
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. net — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. file — a line of people
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — completely
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a document

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com